Latest news with #anti-Israeli
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Terror attack': Anti-Hamas protest firebombed in the United States, injuring six
Sky News host Chris Kenny discusses the 'price' of peaceful protests in the United States as a man yelling 'free Palestine' allegedly firebombed the crowd. 'Once again, we have seen horrific anti-Israeli or antisemitic violence; there seems to be little distinction between the two anymore, this time in the US in Boulder, Colorado,' Mr Kenny said. 'Six people were injured in a firebombing, people literally set on fire for daring to join a protest demanding the release of Israel's hostages, people held hostage by Hamas for more than 600 days now.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Colorado walk firebombed by terrorist who shouted ‘Free Palestine' was peaceful weekly demonstration supporting Hamas hostages: ‘This was not a protest'
The Colorado demonstration firebombed by a lunatic 'terrorist' Sunday was a peaceful 'humanitarian' walk to raise support for the hostages still held captive by Hamas — and was never meant to have any political implications, members of the attacked group told The Post. 'This was a humanitarian walk. This was not a protest,' said Rachel Amaru, a member of the Boulder Run For Their Lives chapter. 'I'm distraught.' Amaru's group was holding its weekly walk for the hostages in Boulder just after 1 p.m., when a man started hurling Molotov cocktails into the crowd — injuring six victims between 67 and 88 years old. At least one was left in critical condition with serious burn wounds. 3 The suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails in the attack, officials said. The suspect — who was screaming anti-Israeli rhetoric and 'Free Palestine,' while calling the walkers child-murderers — was taken into custody at the scene, and identified by the FBI as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45. FBI Director Kash Patel quickly called the incident 'a targeted terror attack.' Boulder Run For Their Lives is a chapter of the national Run For Their Lives group, which has been holding weekly walks since Hamas' Oct. 7 2023 attack on Israel. The group encourages members to host short walks or runs, where participants peacefully carry flags of the remaining hostages' nations and in support of Israel. Boulder's chapter has been hosting walks since Nov. 2023, and Sunday's was its 81st event. 3 Run For Their Lives is a national group with local chapters aimed at supporting the remaining hostages. Run For Their Lives/Instagram 'It was a terrorist attack on a humanitarian walk that has been nothing other than peaceful since November 2023,' said Amaru, who was out of town Sunday and not present for the attack. 'The only concern we had was for the hostages. We are solely humanitarian and apolitical,' she added. 'I'm distraught. My heart has been with the hostages.' Footage from the attack showed a terrifying scene. 'They are killers! How many children you killed?' the shirtless suspect screamed while prowling about the chaos he'd caused. 3 Six people were wounded in the attack in which the suspect shouted 'Free Palestine.' Nearby, a woman lay limp on the ground as bystanders doused her with water, while others encircled the suspect and tried to talk him down. 'End Zionists!' the suspect yelled, before heavily-armed police finally arrived and pinned him to the ground. The FBI is investigating the fiery attack as an act of terrorism. 'As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,' FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek said.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Hamas taunted Israeli hostages with images of antisemitic Columbia University protests: ‘We have our own people everywhere'
Hamas captors cruelly taunted Israeli hostages with news stories and photos of antisemitic protests at Columbia University — and bragged about having an 'army' of propagandists to spread their hate, according to new court papers. Freed hostage Shlomi Ziv claimed he was shown disturbing images and stories of the protests that engulfed the Upper Manhattan campus last year while he was in captivity in the Gaza Strip. 5 A new filing in a federal lawsuit claims anti-Israeli Columbia University protesters are 'foot soldiers' for Hamas. AP Advertisement 5 Columbia University's Upper Manhattan campus has been a hotbed of anti-Israeli sentiment since the Oct. 7 attack. AFP via Getty Images 'With the news report on, his captors told him, 'You see, we have our own people everywhere,' a court filing from Thursday said. 'They then told him that Hamas has an 'army' operating out of Gaza that focuses specifically on media and sending Hamas propaganda and messaging throughout America.' The shocking allegation was revealed in an amended lawsuit filed against a slew of anti-Israel groups in Manhattan federal court for 'aiding and abetting Hamas' continuing acts of international terrorism and violations of the law of nations' following the terror groups Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that left 1,200 dead and hundreds kidnapped. Advertisement Ziv, who is a plaintiff in the suit, was held in captivity for 246 days before he and four others were rescued in an Israel raid in June 2024. He claimed he was shown Al-Jazeera stories and pictures of the Columbia protests and that his captors 'bragged about having Hamas operatives on American university campuses.' Filed on behalf of former hostages, the families of slain hostages, and former Israeli military personnel drawn into the Jewish State's counter-offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the suit claims the Ivy League school's protest organizers are essentially an arm of the terror group that impacted their lives. 5 Shlomi Ziv was taken hostage by Hamas and held for over 240 days in the Gaza Strip before being freed. GoFundMe 5 Anti-Israeli organizers at Columbia University are essentially part of the Hamas terror network, a new lawsuit claims. REUTERS Advertisement 'The associated defendants acted as Hamas' foot soldiers in New York City and on Columbia's campus and enacted [protest organizer's] plan to disrupt Columbia's operations to assist Hamas,' the suit said. The lawsuit, originally filed March 24, names several campus groups, including Within Our Lives, United for Palestine, Columbia Students for Justice In Palestine, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice For Peace, and individual group founders or leaders. Ziv, an Israeli citizen, was working security at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 when he was kidnapped. He and other hostages were starved and beaten 'almost every day,' their doctor said. The Manhattan campus has been a hotbed for anti-Israeli demonstrations that have terrorized Jewish students — including some of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit who were enrolled at the school. Advertisement The school is among dozens of colleges and universities in the US that have seen pro-Palestinian protests, and anti-Israeli encampments following the Oct. 7 attack. 5 Shlomi Zi after his rescue by Israeli military forces in Gaza, where he was held for more than 240 days. AFP via Getty Images Last week, students burned their diplomas in protest on the Columbia campus, two weeks after masked student protesters stormed into the Butler Library at the school. Last year, a mob of students took over Hamilton Hall on the campus and had to be forced out in a wild NYPD raid, leading to several arrests.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Violence in Washington Won't Stop the War in Gaza
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. We don't yet know much about Elias Rodriguez, who shot two Israeli diplomats in Washington, D.C. But what we do know is this: violence like this is not what Palestinians seek, and it must be unequivocally condemned. The old saying "two wrongs don't make a right" applies here. Israel's devastating war on Gaza and its collective punishment of Palestinians—though unconscionable—cannot justify an attack on foreign soil. Nothing can. The attack in Washington took place against the backdrop of Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestine. But even if the motive proves to be anti-Israeli, it is wrong to scapegoat Palestinians or to undermine global leaders who are calling for an end to the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israeli military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children. For over eleven weeks, Gaza has also suffered under a blockade that has cut off food, water, electricity, and medical supplies. These atrocities must be confronted—not by targeting individuals far from the conflict zone, but by exerting political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop the war. It is unacceptable to wave the flag of antisemitism against anyone critical of Israeli actions. Western leaders—from Europe, the U.K., Canada, and Australia—should not be swayed by the inflammatory rhetoric of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has blamed their opposition to Israeli war and starvation for the violence in Washington. Netanyahu, currently facing multiple criminal charges for corruption and abuse of power, is trying to deflect responsibility and delegitimize those calling for a ceasefire, permission of humanitarian aid to starving Gazans, and peace in Palestine. The world knows the names of the Israeli diplomats killed in Washington—Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. But how many know the names of the tens of thousands of Palestinian victims of Israel in Gaza? Thanks to the brave students at Columbia University, the name of one child has broken through: Hind Rajab. She was found shot dead in a car next to her lifeless family members after waiting for hours in vain for rescue. According to UNICEF, and after nearly 18 months of war, more than 15,000 children have been killed, with 34,000 injured, and nearly one million children repeatedly displaced and deprived of their right to basic services. A Palestinian woman carries a girl wounded in an Israeli strike in the Saftawi neighbourhood west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 27, 2025. A Palestinian woman carries a girl wounded in an Israeli strike in the Saftawi neighbourhood west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 27, 2025. BASHAR TALEB / AFP/Getty Images UN Women estimates that more than 28,000 women and girls have also lost their lives. In a powerful gesture, Jordan's Radio al-Balad, the station I am involved with, used International Women's Day on March 8 to read aloud the names of some of these women—among them celebrities, politicians, and even a princess participated, under the theme: We Are Not Numbers. The war in Gaza must end immediately. According to multiple media reports, Hamas has expressed willingness to release all Israeli hostages if the Netanyahu government agrees to a ceasefire. The group has even offered to relinquish control of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian committee ahead of elections for a new unified Palestinian government. This proposal has reportedly been accepted by the international community—including the UN Secretary General—yet rejected by Israel's prime minister. Many believe an end to the war could also mean the end of Netanyahu's political career, and potentially his imprisonment if convicted in court. Meanwhile, Israelis themselves are protesting in the streets, demanding an end to the war and the release of the hostages. A political resolution is both necessary and possible. That resolution must address the root of the conflict: Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories captured in 1967. Palestinians must be allowed their fundamental right to self-determination. A just and lasting peace requires the implementation of longstanding international resolutions, including the establishment of a sovereign, democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel, and a fair solution for Palestinian refugees. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be resolved in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Gaza—not in Washington, D.C. Violence abroad will not bring justice. Peace will only come when the underlying injustice is addressed. Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and the author of State of Palestine Now, available in three languages on Amazon. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Violent act: On the Washington shooting, the Palestine cause
The U.S. capital was rocked by the murder of a young couple who served there as Israeli embassy staff. The assailant, who raised slogans to 'Free Palestine' following his arrest shortly after the violent act, was named by authorities as Elias Rodriguez. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, the murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence. According to reports, his social media accounts have indicated his close involvement with the pro-Palestinian protest movement. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky (30) and Sarah Lynn Milgrim (26), had plans to get married and had warm personal and professional ties with Israel and Palestine, reports noted. U.S. President Donald Trump's post on the social media platform, Truth Social, said, 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, now!' Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was 'outraged by the horrifying antisemitic murder', adding that the deaths were caused by 'anti-Israeli incitement'. He also linked the attack to actions by the leaders of the U.K., France and Canada, who had signed a candid joint letter recently, condemning Israel's actions in Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu has accused them of 'emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever' by calling on Israel to end the war there. If one thing is clear, it is that the Israel-Gaza conflict has firmly entrenched itself in the public discourse in the U.S., with policy implications as well. Soon after kicking off its second term in office, the Trump administration waded into the issue, controversially and unapologetically, when it began conducting immigration raids across U.S. universities, targeting any foreign student who had participated in protests for human rights in Gaza with detention and deportation. Similarly, Mr. Trump made it clear that he was not pulling his punches when the White House announced recently that it would follow up its drastic funding cuts and other restrictions on top-tier universities — it has accused them of not doing enough to prevent anti-Semitism on their campuses — with a ban on the enrolment of international students at Harvard. Although Harvard has received temporary respite — a block has been issued by a U.S. District Court in its favour — the risk of institutions of graduate learning facing 'immediate and irreparable injury' remains high at this time. It is important for the international community to be able to criticise Israel's brutal war in Gaza and rein in Mr. Netanyahu without being seen as anti-Semitic or supportive of Hamas. But violence against Israelis has no place in the efforts to highlight the plight of the Palestinians.
